- Yes
- No
Today I would like to introduce to you all the Shorland S.53, the mobile air defence version of the Shorland Series 5 armoured car manufactured by Short Brothers and Harland. The original series 1 - 3 variants were issued in 1966 for the Royal Ulster Constabulary. The Series 5 variants were introduced in the 1980s and were the final series that utilised the Land Rover chassis.
The Vehicle
The S.53 was developed upon the 110-inch Land Rover chassis and housed a 3.5l Rover V8 petrol engine, (with a 2.5l diesel alternate available), that produced 134hp at 37.8 hp/t for a permanent 4x4 drivetrain. It could reach a maximum of 120kph on-road and 48kph offroad.
| Vehicle Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Crew | 3 (Driver, Commander, Gunner, (possibility for loader?)) |
| Engine Power | 134hp |
| Curb Weight | 3600kg |
| Power to Weight Ratio | 37.8hp/t |
| Gearbox | 5 forward, 1 reverse |
| Drivetrain | 4x4 (permenant) |
| Max Road Speed | 120kph |
| Max Offroad Speed | 48kph |
(NOTE: These specs were taken from the S.52, not the S.53, as no specifics could be found for the S.53. It is stated in sources that the S.53 is structurally identical to the S.52, so it is safe to assume that they have almost identical performances.)
The exact armour values of the Series 5 versions of the Shorlands are not completely known. Information for the Series 1 - 3 can be found, stating that the armour was between 5.25mm, (roof and bonnet), and 7.25mm, (sides and front plating), thick. The engine also had its own 5.25mm thick plates on the sides, front/grille and top.
However, sources for the Series 5 S.52, (structurally identical to the S.53), state that it has improved, ‘fully enclosed welded armour’. As a comparison, the Series 5 could withstand NATO 7.62x51 BALL from 25m at a right angle to the side armour, whereas the Series 1 - 3 could only withstand it from 47m. This would imply that the existence of thicker [side] armour on the S.53.
The Weapon System
The S.53 housed the VML (Vehicle Multiple Launcher) system on a pintle mounting attached to the turret ring, providing it with 360° horizontal coverage. As well as being able to rotate around the turret ring, the VML itself had bearings around the pintle pylon that provided +/- 40° of horizontal traverse upon its own mount.
The VML contained, when loaded, a set of either three Blowpipe MCLOS missiles, Javelin SACLOS missiles or Starburst SACLOS Missiles. 6 additional missiles could be stored in the carrying compartment at the rear of the vehicle, which also provided space for the aiming unit when it was not in use.
| Weapon Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Name | VML (Vehicle Multiple Launcher) |
| Magnification | 6x zoom with thermal ‘night sight’ capability |
| Ammunition | Blowpipe (MCLOS)/Javelin (SACLOS)/Starburst (SACLOS) Surface to Air Missiles |
| Capacity | 3 Missiles (with 6 in reserve) |
| Caliber | 76mm |
| Warhead | 2.2kg impact shaped charge (Blowpipe)/0.6kg impact/proximity HE charge (Javelin/Starburst) |
| Maximum velocity | 1.5M (Blowpipe)/1.7M (Javelin)/2.0M (Starburst) |
| Defeat range | 0.7-3.0km (Blowpipe)/0.3-5.5km (Javelin)/0.4-6.0km (Starburst) |
A little history on the missiles
Blowpipe
The Blowpipe was the UK’s first MANPADS missile system and was designed with the intention of being able to have front aspect capability against aircraft in order to be able to neutralise the threat of them before they dropped their payload, which was a problem for existing IR SAM systems at the time that could only reliably achieve a lock from the rear aspect.
On paper is was a good idea, but during deployment in the Falklands war the system was found to be difficult to use in live fire situations. Because the gunner had to track the missile, (controlled by a joystick), and the target simultaneously its real-world effectiveness was low. On top of this, the missile only had an impact warhead, which meant that operators had to score a direct hit to have any effect, with a missile that was already hard to operate.
Javelin
The SACLOS and proximity-fuse upgrade to the poorly performing Blowpipe, the Javelin worked by using radio control functions and internal microprocessor system within the launcher system to direct the missile to its target. A red spot is projected on the launcher’s TV scope, of which the spot is controlled by the joystick, providing a pseudo laser guidance style of tracking to the missile. This proved considerably more effective than its predecessor, as was quoted by the Canadian Army who used it during the Gulf War.
Starburst
The Starburst missile was the final upgrade of the Javelin missile, (Javelin S15), and featured improved internal systems partnered with an upgraded launcher that was capable of providing laser guidance. It was the same launcher complex that was originally developed for the Starstreak Missile. The laser guidance system would be used in order to counter improving ECM methods and increase the missile’s ‘noise’ immunity.
Thank you for reading! I hope that you can see why I think this would be a good addition to the GB SPAA line. I’ll try to provide amendments to this as necessary if it is found that information I have provided is wrong or if there is something missing. Have a nice day! :)
Sources:
Shorland armoured car - Wikipedia
Starburst (missile) - Wikipedia
Blowpipe portable anti-aircraft missile system | Missilery.info
Javelin portable anti-aircraft missile system | Missilery.info
Portable anti-aircraft missile system Starburst | Missilery.info
Blowpipe/Javelin Production Forecast 04/2000 (forecastinternational.com)
Starburst Production Forecast 02/2003 (forecastinternational.com)
Martlet (Lightweight Multirole Missile) - Think Defence
Army Guide (army-guide.com) - S.52
Army Guide (army-guide.com) - S.53
Shorland Protection from Gunfire
Additional Shorland S.53 images
s53 (2).JPG Picture (picturepush.com)